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LITCHFIELD — A barn and 500 bales of hay inside it were destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon.

The 60-by-80-foot barn along Highway 12 west of Litchfield was owned by Gerald Whitcomb, who was able to save the six pigs and 20 baby goats kept in the barn.

The fire was determined to be caused from a heat lamp used in the barn to keep the goats warm, according to a release from the Meeker County Sheriff’s Department. The homeowner did have insurance on the barn.

Meeker County deputies and the Litchfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene. Fire departments from Grove City, Cosmos and Dassel provided mutual aid in the form of tankers and personnel. No people or animals were injured in the fire.

Theft

WILLMAR — The theft of a jacket and keys from McDonald’s in Willmar was reported at 9:23 p.m. Wednesday.

Ramos faces two counts each of first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, and a gross misdemeanor, fifth-degree charge for having repeated sexual contact with two underage girls over several years.

According to court records, the investigation into Ramos began when a 21-year-old woman reported to Willmar police that Ramos had sexually abused her from the time she was 7 years old until she was 14. The woman reported that Ramos gave her a dollar or two and told her not to tell anyone. The woman said all of the incidents, except for one that occurred in Chippewa County, happened at a Willmar residence.

A 17-year-old girl also reported that Ramos had abused her, beginning when she was 7 years old and continuing until she was 16. She told an investigator that the abuse occurred at various Willmar residences and that Ramos offered her money.

Court records indicate Ramos was convicted in 1998 of sexually abusing another girl.

Ramos allegedly admitted to the sexual contact with the girls when he was interviewed last week by a Willmar Police Department detective.

Anderson was accused of forging checks that she had taken from a man she knew and cashing at least one check at a local check-cashing store.

In all, she was accused of forging or attempting to force $855 in checks.

- Sarah Anna Spaulding, 32, of Spicer made her first court appearance Thursday on felony charges of second-degree and third-degree drug sales.

She was released on her own recognizance on the condition she not possess or use alcohol or controlled substances and remain law-abiding. Her next court hearing will be April 15.

Spaulding is accused of making two sales of methamphetamine to an informant for the CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force in December.

Spaulding allegedly sold 0.7 grams of meth to the informant in the Affiliated Community Medical Center parking lot. Later in the day, she allegedly sold the 3 grams of meth to the same informant at the Lakeview Motel.

Vergara-Arellano, another man and a teenage boy were arrested and charged after CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents served a search warrant at a home in the Regency West mobile home park.

Vergara-Arellano had also been charged with the felony of possessing a shotgun with an illegally shortened barrel and several misdemeanor charges related to drug possession.

According to court records, two guns — a Remington 870 Express 20-gauge shotgun and a Marlin Model 200 single shot shotgun — were located in the home. The Remington shotgun was found to have been stolen in Jan. 11 burglary reported in the county. The Marlin had both its barrel and stock shortened, with the barrel measuring 13 inches.

During the search, officers also located knives and rings, which were also discovered to be stolen property, along with drug paraphernalia and 26 grams of marijuana, a stolen iPhone, marijuana growing equipment and shotgun shells.

Molina had pleaded guilty in January to a felony fifth-degree drug possession charge. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.

Several misdemeanor traffic charges and drug charges were dismissed.

Molina was sentenced to a 13-month prison sentence which was stayed for three years on each charge.

On the drug charge, he was sentenced to serve 180 days in jail and fined $1,500.

On the fleeing charge, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $500.

The jail sentences are to be served consecutively for a total of 240 days, about eight months. He received credit for 103 days, about 3½ months.

In addition, Molina will be required to submit a DNA sample, remain-law-abiding, submit to random drug testing and use no alcohol or drugs.

Molina was accused of fleeing Kandiyohi County deputies who tried to stop his vehicle along First Street. He fled through parking lots at the Kandi Mall and then north before surrendering when approached by another squad car.